He moved to the BBC after four years and for the next 24 years worked in both television and radio for the national networks and the local and regional services. In 1991, he was appointed Head of Local Programmes to run the BBC’s North West regional television service and three local radio stations.

Five years later, he was asked to set up and manage newsroom technology projects across the whole of the UK. He worked as part of the team that created and put into service ENPS, now the standard electronic newsroom system across the world. He set up and managed a project for an online news service for the National Regions as well as teletext and news subtitling services for the English Regions.

He left the BBC in 2002 to run his own consultancy business, specialising in broadcast journalism training. He has run courses and carried out on-site training as far afield as Mongolia, Sierra Leone and Jamaica. Nearer home, he has worked with students at Salford University to make television current affairs programmes for Channel M, Manchester's city TV station.

Roy is honorary Professor of Broadcast Journalism at Liverpool John Moores University and on the Board of Directors of Salford City Radio. He is also Chairman of one of the Independent Advisory Groups to Greater Manchester Police.